Saturday, September 18, 2010

Victoria Kensington is on her morning run through Central Park when her sister, who's supposed to be in Italy, stumbles into her path. Audrey is wearing a medical gown, obviously sick, and warning her sister about danger. When Victoria goes to get help and returns, her sister is gone - without a trace.

Ignoring all threats, determined to find her sister, and unsure whom to trust, Victoria vows to get answers. Then the only man she's ever loved, Zach, shows up in New York, assigned to investigate the worldwide drug syndicate, their missions leading them to the same place.

Despite their tangled history, Victoria trusts Zach, so they work together against the clock to find Audrey, and break the deadly drug ring. But the truth may just tear Victoria's family apart.

As they dig deeper, the electric chemistry between them flares to a fever pitch, and the feelings they thought were in the past just won't stay there. Can Zach and Victoria navigate all the deceit surrounding them, and deal with the emotions that are unwilling to die?

This book is one of my favorites, and I love to go back and re-read it. Mostly because it just makes me happy.

It’s hard not to like Victoria. She’s a strong, smart, independent woman, who loves unconditionally.

Zach is a brilliant surveillance expert who's a driven, caring, gentleman. As Victoria says, "She'd always marveled at how he could treat her as an equal and yet always make her so acutely aware that she was a woman." His actions prove that over and over again.

One of my favorite things about this book is that the hero and heroine are evenly matched. Both are strong, intelligent, and they can rely not only on themselves, but also on the other. They match wits, even sometimes disagreeing, and neither is afraid to admit when they're wrong...even aloud.

Also, this is a reunion story done right. They were separated for four years, for perfectly understandable reasons. One of my biggest pet peeves in romance is the “Big Misunderstanding” between the main characters. Fortunately, that doesn’t happen here. There's definitely opportunity for it, but confusion is easily avoided because Zach and Victoria actually talk to one another.

This is another thing I love. Not only do Zach and Victoria talk about what happened four years ago, they talk about everything...the intervening years, their fears, desires, hopes and thoughts. There's no misunderstanding about what each wants. They both have eyes wide open, and make themselves, and each other, face the obstacles in their path so they can find happiness. They, understandably, have some concerns about renewing their relationship, but honest thought and discussion lead them to what they both desire.

Obviously, what I love most is the characters, their development, and the road to happily-ever-after. I suppose I should mention the suspense part of the novel, as it is intricately tied to Victoria and Zach. I keenly felt Victoria's fear for her sister, and her worry that she wouldn't be able to help or protect her, comes through clearly. Finding out how Zach's case and Victoria's sister is linked, makes for an interesting journey, with a few twists thrown in. There are some aspects of the story that are not entirely “real world” accurate, but I honestly didn’t notice them. You are so caught up in the story, that you just keep turning pages wanting to read more.

This is definitely a favorite of mine, with a strong suspense plot weaving around the characters and providing the motivation for their objectives. By far the best thing in this story is Zach and Victoria’s love. This book is a must read!

The reviews are in!
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I just recieved the most incredible review this morning from Romance Junkies!
Reviews are also beginning to be posted on Good Reads and I think I have my ...

7 years ago

Reviewing Disclosure

In accordance with FTC Guidelines, I would like everyone to know that while I do purchase my own books quite frequently, you should assume that every book reviewed here at Touch the Night was provided to the reviewer by the publisher or the author for free.